Ever since I was a little girl, my favorite snack has been Cheetos. Almost any kind will do, but my very favorite are the real, live Cheetos brand…
baked. To me…the others don’t even count.
I loved Cheetos so much that at Christmastime, while everyone else was getting a stocking filled with tons of goodies, I got one with a bag of Cheetos stuffed in it. My brother quickly pointed out to me that I was being completely ripped off, and that maybe I should ask Santa to just put the bag of cheese puffs under the tree next time. It took me a while to figure out what he meant.
Last year, on Gracious Rain, we had a Cheetos taste test, because I had no idea that there were so many different kind in the world. Amazing. Wonderful. Inspired. It was a grand event with everyone getting ballots and samples so that they could judge accurately. Of course, since it was my taste test, I felt completely justified in stacking the vote.
Just in case you didn’t get enough of anything and everything in heart shapes–try these tender little jam cookies. Oooooh-wooo—you won’t forget these lovelies–but do try to be mature…
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, cocoa, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in pecans. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness.
Cut with a 3-in. heart-shaped or 2-1/2-in. round cookie cutter. From the center of half the cookies, cutout a 1-1/2-in. heart or round shape. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Spread 1/2 teaspoon jam over the bottom of the solid cookies; Sprinkle cutout cookies with confectioners’ sugar–if you want. We left ours plain. Carefully place over jam cookie.
You’ll end up with about 3 dozen of the prettiest little cookies you’ve ever seen.
They are honestly pretty enough to pass out to the neighbors.
These little lovelies remind me of those fabulous Devil’s Food cookies that my mama used to buy and….
hide from us. What?! Too good to share with the kids? Aparently so.
Well fine then.
I’ll make my own.
Ooooh baby.
Do brace yourself.
Devil’s Food Surprise Cookies
Ingredients:
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
24 large marshmallows, cut in half horizontally or 4 small marshmallows
Chocolate Frosting for Surprise Cookies
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add reserved flour mixture; mix on low speed until combined.
3. Using a tablespoon or 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto ungreased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies begin to spread and become firm, 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Remove baking sheets from oven, and place a marshmallow, cut-side down, in the center of each cookie, pressing down slightly. Return to oven, and continue baking until marshmallows begins to melt, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
5. Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting over each marshmallow, starting in the center and continuing outward until marshmallow is covered.
Devil’s Food Frosting
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Stir ingredients together till creamy.
Nowwww then…I triple-dog-dare you to make these incredible little devils and NOT sneak six of them in your purse.
24 large marshmallows, cut in half horizontally or 4 small marshmallows
Chocolate Frosting for Surprise Cookies
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat until well combined.
Add reserved flour mixture; mix on low speed until combined.
Using a tablespoon or 1¾-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto ungreased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
Bake until cookies begin to spread and become firm, 10 to 12 minutes.
Remove baking sheets from oven, and place a marshmallow, cut-side down, in the center of each cookie, pressing down slightly.
Return to oven, and continue baking until marshmallows begins to melt, 2 to 2½ minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting over each marshmallow, starting in the center and continuing outward until marshmallow is covered.
Notes
Devil's Food Frosting
4 cups powdered sugar
½ cup butter, melted and cooled
½ cup cocoa
½ cup milk
½ tsp. vanilla
Stir ingredients together until creamy.
Nothing makes you hungrier than screaming your liver out for your favorite team at the Superbowl.
If you do the football thing like we do at this house–“kick off” the perfect game and totally “score” with these “goal” winning snacks–sure to “tackle” your “team’s” hunger.
Directions
1. In small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon; set aside. In large bowl, mix cereals and popcorn.
2. In a small saucepan, cook butter over medium heat until melted. Pour over cereal mixture, stirring until evenly coated.
3. Sprinkle half of the sugar mixture evenly over cereal mixture; stir. Sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture; stir. Cook at 350 degrees for 7 minutes. Stir. Cook for 7 minutes more. Store in air tight container.
Look how pretty this is—Honey Candy–for your…Honey.
It tastes so good and I’ve even been told that it makes a lovely, soothing throat drop. I’m a bit more interested in it as a candy, because, well–it’s just the kinda girl I am.
But to each his own.
HONEY CANDY
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. honey
1/4 c. butter
Put all the ingredients in heavy pan and cook over medium heat until it reaches the *hard crack stage. Pour into a buttered cookie sheet. Fold edges of candy into middle until cool enough to pull. Pull and cut it into one inch pieces or roll in balls. Put on a greased cookie sheet. You can leave it there–or you can twist each piece in wax paper or cellophane.
I’d suggest that you wrap it if you want to carry a few pieces in your purse…
